for honeys

Glossier’s been making big steps in 2017 – let’s call them strides, actually. Because here we are: another month, another Glossier product. This one is a brand-new thing to Glossier – it’s kind of like Body Hero, in that way. Glossier hadn’t ever released body products before their Body Hero Duo; Glossier You is the company’s first fragrance. & people are getting excited.

Anyways. Glossier hasn’t really been talking much about the fragrance that was up-&-coming for a while; they’ve only recently started seriously introducing the fragrance on their Instagram page, as well as Into the Gloss. But – if you’re a Vogue subscriber (or you just read their online articles) you may have seen this article, which is an interview with Emily Weiss (Glossier CEO). It included a little photo of a pink vial, captioned: “The new perfume, Glossier You—a subtle take on musk and iris that launches at the end of next month—stays true to the brand’s ethos of individualism.”

The article is just as mysterious as the subtle hints Glossier’s been dropping; enough context for me to form some kind of idea of what the fragrance might smell of…but not enough that the game was up. Well played, I suppose?

In Vogue’s article, writer Kate Branch tells: “Weiss is also about to reveal her first-ever fragrance, a subtle scent with equal parts powder and musk and the zing of fresh-cut iris.”

Not going to lie – that was pretty exciting. It sounds odd, but I like musky fragrances. To me, they add a bit of ambiguity that I like in fragrance. Add some flowers – but not your run-of-the-mill rose or lily – & boom, I’ll probably like it. I don’t mind a bit of powder, either – I was a bit worried about that, though. Like super sweet or super floral fragrances, I sneeze almost immediately if a fragrance is too powdery. My favorite fragrances tend to be quite “gender-neutral” & light. YSL Black Opium perfume is my one exception – it’s amazing, but most certainly a night fragrance. It feels a bit weird wearing it in daylight. I love it to death, but it’s most definitely a night-time fragrance; it can get quite heavy. I don’t like overly sweet or fruity scents; they make my nose tickle. To sum it up: I like fresh, soft, neutral fragrances that will adjust to the heat of my skin & be unique enough for me to call it my “signature” scent.

Weiss said in the same interview that Glossier You was supposed to smell like “your boyfriend’s neck after he has been wearing cologne for eight hours.”

That was….a bit of a turn-off for me. I don’t like the smell of cologne; not on men, not on anyone, in fact. I find them too heavy. I didn’t really want to smell like a man’s neck – I wish it had been described in a more appealing way, because it definitely is more appealing, & most certainly doesn’t smell like a man’s neck after a work day, which – let’s be honest – doesn’t sound that great. I decided to keep my hopes up, & ordered a refill of my Priming Moisturizer Rich, clicking “add sample” at checkout to get my mini perfume.

We didn’t really get much more information about the fragrance’s “notes” “undertones” etc. until release day, when Glossier finally posted this info on the Glossier You page:

The ultimate personal fragrance.

You’ll find that You makes a good first impression, and lives up to it as time goes on. Each note was chosen and balanced to allow the juice to be both long-lasting and true to how it smells at the beginning, without changing as it dries down. In other words, it’s heavy on the base notes. Mostly it smells like you: that familiar human-y note that makes up the body of what you’re smelling. Creamy, sparkling, clean, warm. That’s You.

*please be advised that the formula comes incomplete; You are the first ingredient*

(listed in order of emphasis)The three base notes melt in with your skin…_ambrette: comfy, warm_ambrox: smooth, salty, animalistic_musk: long-lasting, addictive

And a mix of top notes say “nice to meet you!” without overpowering the base…_iris root: earthy, green, woody_pink pepper: spice, sparkling

Okay – so launch day hit, we got the “notes” – but all of my own first impressions & attempts to describe the fragrance were based off of my own (very limited) knowlege of fragrances. Read on for beautiful photos & my final opinion on the fragrance!

Full disclosure – Glossier sent me the full-size vial, but I did not recieve it until after I recieved the sample. So no – I didn’t buy it, but I did happen to receive the trial first, & had it for about a week before the actual one was sent my way. My first impressions were based off the sample; I liked it more as the full-size. You’ll see why!

The packaging has a color scheme that’s identical – if not, than almost – to the Body Hero Duo packaging: the signature Glossier pink, with a pop of red. I like the pink & red – I hope this trend continues. It’s eye-catching & unique. I like it!

When my full-size vial arrived & I tried it on, I immediately felt as though it smelled better. I’m guessing it has something to do with the head of the spray bottle. I’ll call this a good thing; I already liked the fragrance in its sample form; I like it even more in its full-size vial.

Sample babies resting beside the parent fragrance

The full-size bottle is nestled in its protective bright red foam case; when it’s out of that, it’s a little glass bottle that’s almost transluscent…just a little hint of that Glossier pink. It has a little dent on the front of the bottle, which makes it fit perfectly in your hand. The bottle is glass. If you’re clumsy & drop things easily, but still want a nice fragrance…this is for you!

The full-size vial of Glossier You retails for $60. You get 1.7 fl. oz. of product. A 1.6 fl. oz. is $91. That’s a big price difference.

he full-size vial, in addition to its protective red case, comes nestled inside a big pink bubble wrap pouch; the one that’s the same size as the one the Body Hero Duo comes in.

Best of all: it includes a scratch-&-sniff sticker…which smells like…you guessed it! Glossier You. It looks like this is their winter/holiday sticker, too. You can see “Winter ’16-’17” in the corner of the sticker. The fun bubble letters give a very seasonal effect, & I’ll be carrying this sticker in my bags. They’re almost like little car fresheners, except for my purse/backpack.

Now for the tricky part. This is where I have to describe what the fragrance smells like on me. I’m not good at that, but I’ll do my best, okay?

The first thing I wondered was: “will it really be gender-neutral?” That depends on what you think constitutes a gender-neutral fragrance; I don’t think it smells particularly femenine or masculine – so I’d go with: yes, it’s gender-neural.

I spritzed a bit on my wrists & waited a few moments before actually taking a whiff. The best way I can describe this (if we’re talking about other fragrances) is that it very much reminds me of the Margiela Replica fragrance line – they got a lot of hype this past summer for their Beach Walk fragrance; my personal favorite from that line is Lazy Sunday Morning, which also happens to be a bit powdery.

If I were to compare Glossier You to another fragrance, I’d say it’s very similar to Lazy Sunday Morning by Margiela, & Not A Perfume by Juliette Has A Gun. It just has an extra little zing to it. I’m guessing that’s from the combination of iris & musk. I like the “zing” – it’s something that I’d be comfortable wearing during the day or for going out at night.

Not A Perfume is made up of only one ingredient, which adjusts to your skin’s temperature, making it smell different on everyone. I tested it out on my willing family members & found that to be true. In that sense, I’d say that the effect you get with Not A Perfume is carried out in a similar manner with Glossier You, except Glossier You is half as cheap, & smells a bit different.

The other fragrance is a rollerball of Margiela Replica Lazy Sunday Morning Fragrance. I really like the scent of Lazy Sunday Morning & find it somewhat similar to GLosiser you, but I find that it fades quicker than Glossier You. That’s fine; not everyone likes their fragrances to be very noticeable…but if you’re looking for something a bit longer-lasting & not too different from fresher fragrances such as the Margielas, this is a great option.

Three pretty, go-to fragrances – but when Not A Perfume runs out, I’ll be holding on to Glossier You & Black Opium & gently let my friend Juliette go

It lasts a good many hours, & the scent changes as the fragrance continues to wear, which I really like. It doesn’t ever tickle my nose…it just gives me a slight whiff of that zingy, fresh scent if I move my wrist suddenly. It’s something that follows you around, but not in an annoying, overwhelming way. It’s also a fragrance that adjusts & changes as the day progresses – which I really like.

Will I purchase this myself?

Yes – & here’s why:

It’s about half as cheap as a Margiela fragrance, & it has a very similar vibe to the Replica fragrances in general. I’ve never been able to afford a full-size Margiela Replica, & had no wish to (rollerballs are fine!) but it’s nice that I can get a different fragrance by a different brand that smells similar enough to fall under that category of fragrance I love so much – for so much less money. That’s amazing. No – $60 is not “cheap,” by any means. It does, however, set a nice bar for “middle-end” fragrances. Fragrances don’t need to be replaced too often, but even when I do run out of this one, I know I won’t be wincing when I click “confirm order.”

I’m always looking for fresh, unique scents. This one is both of those things.

It doesn’t, in fact, smell like any boyfriend’s cologne-y neck. I think that is a good thing (sorry, Emily).

Seriously, though – let’s wrap this up & make it very simple:

If you’re looking for an elegantly packaged fragrance, one that has a personal, unique scent, & one that won’t break the bank, you’ve found it here. It’s called Glossier You. & I’ll be phasing out my other fragrances (except for YSL Black Opium; she has my heart) & keep on going with this one.

I smell fancy without paying a ridiculous amount of money. How cool is that, right? Truly a perfume for our generation: gender-neutral, unique, & affordable, so it won’t keep you from paying off your student debt.

If you’re unsure about this still – by all means, get a sample before you commit! You can do that right here.

Glossier You samples have been offered for a minute now – have any of you recieved one in your latest Glossier order? If so, what are your thoughts? Will you/have you bought full-size, or will you just use this little sample until it’s gone? Either way, I’m curious to hear your opinions!